so I can finally discuss my junior college experience because it is officially OVER!!
In high school, I was pretty much average with a below average GPA. Senior year came around, and I realized I couldn't get into any UC, so I settled for SFSU because they accept pretty much everyone from SF... I didn't bother with JCs at all because I heard that: 1, it's impossible to get classes; 2, nobody gets out in two years; and 3, people generally just stop going to school because they get tied up in working or give up on school. So why not SF State right?
I spoke with my aunt and uncle regarding my choice, and they really recommended that I check out junior college. They introduced me to the TAG program, vaguely, but it was mentioned, and it was persuasive because their kids were already at Skyline. I applied for Skyline & CCSF, but really just put off all my placement tests and orientation. I registered for the SFSU placement testing, and ended up sleeping right through it when that came around.
Soon enough, high school was over and summer came around. I finally realized that I needed to take my placement test for Skyline and did it sometime in June. I got placed into remedial math, and remedial english. Of course, I was discouraged; but I rescheduled another placement test at CSM, and I placed into Math 251, and English 100 (the highest possible classes to place into in both subjects). The first try was probably just a fluke.
I registered for classes according to my IGETC, and it was not hard at all. I was not waitlisted for any classes. I also used ratemyprofessors to make sure that I had decent teachers. So my first semester at Skyline, I took: political science 200, history 202, speech 100, music 202, and english 100. I'm really glad that I used ratemyprofessors to pick out some good teachers because my first semester seemed really easy. I didn't bother seeing a counselor or anything for the first semester because I really didn't know what was going on. I thought it would be okay for me to just take whatever classes I could and register on whatever date was assigned. I pulled through the semester with 3 As and 2 Bs.
I found that my next registration date was extremely late, and I actually had a bit of a struggle getting classes my second semester. I was waitlisted for one class, English. I desperately needed English because I only had one more semester to fulfill, and I really wanted to get it over with. My second semester (spring 2011), I took: history 201, economics 100, english 110, psychology 110, and astronomy 100. I actually didn't get the english class on my first try, but my friend was already registered, so I asked him for her email to contact her. She agreed that if nobody already registered showed up the next day, I would be in the class. I ended up adding, and this semester was even easier than the first. I was really getting the hang of the classes and this semester I finally decided to see a counselor to get an SEP. With the SEP, I heard that it would bump up my registration date. It really did not do much for that, and that's the only reason I even got an SEP.
I got my registration date near the end of the semester, and It was almost a week and a half after the first day to register. I went to A&R and politely asked the lady if she could do anything about my registration date. She looked me up, and was extremely nice and bumped me up to the second day to register. I ended up getting all the classes I needed for the summer and fall. I also pulled through my second semester with 4 As and 1 B.
Summer at Skyline was torture. I took one eight hour class: Human Anatomy. I met a bunch of amazing people in that class, but I got a C. It was my first C in college, and I regret taking a science class during the summer. I had also just gotten a job, so it was tough to balance both my shitty job and school. I did manage to pull through and pass the class, and that's really what's important. Nearing the end of summer school, my mom also bought me my car. She bought me the exact car that I wanted, and I'm happier than ever with it.
My second fall semester was a little shaky. I did not prioritize very well, and didn't spend very much time on my studies. I took history 101, math 200, health science 130, philosophy 100, and economics 102. I'm glad I took a bullshit course (human sexuality), because it really lessened the stress when it came down to my procrastination. I did everything at the very last minute, especially my philosophy exams. I remember having to write one essay per exam, and I'd literally start the night before when it was assigned at least a week in advance. I always pulled through with a B, so no big deal... I ended up getting 3 Bs and 2 As.
November was the time to apply for colleges, and I had a friend who was PREPARED. He was so prepared that he had begun writing his personal statement months in advance! I thought he was crazy, but I also admired his persistence. He constantly went to meet with his counselor, and he talked to many advisors regarding his personal statement. He would ask me every morning, because we'd see each other before class, how I was doing with my personal statement. I was honest and told him every single time until probably two weeks prior to when they were due, that I hadn't started. A couple weeks before they were due, I began writing. I stopped a couple sentences into it, because I didn't want to do it. I didn't want to write it, so I couldn't force it out of myself.
Now, personal statements are due on 11/30. I began writing my personal statement on the afternoon of 11/28. By nighttime, I had erased about 10 of them, and kept rewriting them. I finally had something with which I was semi-satisfied. Without thinking, I copied and pasted it into the browser, but of course I read it one more time. I wanted to change a word, so I did so. I changed the word without rereading the entire sentence and submitted it. I thought I would be able to go back and edit it after it was submitted... I was wrong. I was dead wrong, and my heart sank. My heart dropped and chills went down my back. I did not know what to do. This was a huge step in my life, and because of a careless mistake, I would lose the opportunity of a lifetime.
I bitched and moaned to all my friends about how I had a typo, and most people just informed me of the obvious: there was nothing that I could do to take it back, or change it. I just had to accept the fact that what's done is done. So I actually forgot about that and just continued doing whatever the hell I was doing at the time.
So spring semester came around, and I was honestly expecting easy classes. I took philosophy 103, psychology 300, political science 130, and political science 115. While my first two classes were extremely easy, my last two were confusing, unorganized, and challenging. I thought I knew a lot, but when the tests came around, I literally froze. I just froze and didn't know what to do. I bombed the first quizzes in both classes, but the teacher had a very good policy about grades. If he sees progress, he gives a better grade. The entire semester, I waited until the very last minute to do homework, because I spent most of my time either sleeping or with my boyfriend. It was a tough semester, though. I felt ill for approximately a month out of the entire semester, so I missed a good amount of classes, and I also wasn't very focused in school. I even ended up not knowing about an exam but winging it and getting a C. I ended up getting all Bs, which was really all I needed. Was I proud? YES, I was. From doing nothing all semester, I got a 3.0.
College acceptance letters came out in April. On April 20, 2012: I received my acceptance to UC Davis as a Political Science major. I was overwhelmed and I pretty much had my heart set on Davis the entire spring semester because I figured that I would not be able to get into Berkeley with that typo on my personal statement. I shared the news with all my friends who were transferring after spring, and everyone else had gotten into Davis as well. Everyone else, however, had also applied to at least 3 more universities than I had. I didn't really want to go anywhere aside from Davis or Berkeley. I really wanted to stay close to home. So I was later informed that Berkeley acceptance letters would come out on the 27th. On the 27th, around 5pm (the time I received my acceptance from Davis), I got nothing in my email. I had nothing in my inbox and I was a little nervous.
I didn't know what to think. Maybe they didn't send out rejection letters. Maybe theres no way for me to find out. I got home from work at 7:30, and went to read on the website how to find out if one was accepted, waitlisted or rejected. I found that it was required to log in to myBerkeleyApp, and that's where it would notify people. I logged in, scared as hell, and the first word I saw was "Congratulations!" I screamed and ran out of my room and told my mom who was in the kitchen. I was shaking with joy and excitement, and immediately called my best friend to tell him. I was waiting on my boyfriend to pick me up from home, and the second I got in the car I let him know the good news. He was so happy for me, just like everyone else. I posted it on facebook, I told the world.
I did it. Nobody ever told me that I couldn't do it, but there were people who were doubtful in themselves whether or not they could do it. I'm so glad that I had such a strong support system through my two years of community college. My mom never hassled me about doing anything, and she let me do everything on my own. She let me study when I wanted to, she let me go out when I wanted to, and she basically let me have as much freedom as she felt was necessary which was honestly a great amount.
Since I was able to go to a community college, take all the classes I needed, and get out in two years: anyone can do it. Anyone can do it as long as there is dedication and motivation. It's a much better alternative than going to a crappy school just because it has the word "University" in it. A degree from SFSU will never compare to a degree from Cal. In a way, I took the easy route. It was easy because junior college is a lot like high school, without the teachers caring so much and the office calling home when you miss class. It's high school with a whole bunch of freedom. When someone fucks up, it's on him or her. It's his money, it's his education.
It's true, people don't try as hard in community college. There were plenty of people who I wanted to just shove off a cliff because they were a waste of a seat. The seat that they took could have been for somebody else who was more dedicated to studying, and more dedicated to bettering their lives. There were people who came into class smelling like weed, and just sat there like they didn't even know where they were. People who came to class once in a blue moon just to take a test, and bomb it. Although there were those types of people, there were also the people who were extremely dedicated to their studies, and motivated to get the hell out of Skyline. I'm so glad I met people like that during my two years at Skyline. I'm glad I met people who were just as headstrong as me, if not more. I'm glad that these people helped me study and really kept me going through most of the semesters.
After a year at Skyline, I started to really like it at that school. I really liked the community college system, and just everything that the school had to offer. At times, the registration dates would piss me off, but I DID end up getting classes (which is a huge gripe from most people when asked why they don't want to go to a community college). I get that parents don't want their kids to go to a community college because it sounds bad, but how bad does it sound when they transfer?
I honestly feel like I accomplished more, having completed all my required courses (and more), at a junior college and then transferring to a four year university. I am proud of the fact that I was able to do it without a guarantee, or honors program. I applied to Cal with a 3.47 GPA, no extracurriculars, (the inability to spell the word curricular without attempting it 16 times), no volunteer work, and just a job as a waitress.
With that said, anyone can do it. I didn't let my shitty resume stop me from applying to the country's top public university. I didn't let my (basically) failure GPA stop me from applying. I know that my friends and family are extremely proud of me, and very happy for me. I am so thankful to have such a wonderful support system. My best friends, my parents, my aunts and uncles, my grandparents, my cousins, and my boyfriend make me elated because they never give up on me, and they always want the best for me.
I can't wait to start this new chapter of my life, because things can really only go up from here. :)
E
My second fall semester was a little shaky. I did not prioritize very well, and didn't spend very much time on my studies. I took history 101, math 200, health science 130, philosophy 100, and economics 102. I'm glad I took a bullshit course (human sexuality), because it really lessened the stress when it came down to my procrastination. I did everything at the very last minute, especially my philosophy exams. I remember having to write one essay per exam, and I'd literally start the night before when it was assigned at least a week in advance. I always pulled through with a B, so no big deal... I ended up getting 3 Bs and 2 As.
November was the time to apply for colleges, and I had a friend who was PREPARED. He was so prepared that he had begun writing his personal statement months in advance! I thought he was crazy, but I also admired his persistence. He constantly went to meet with his counselor, and he talked to many advisors regarding his personal statement. He would ask me every morning, because we'd see each other before class, how I was doing with my personal statement. I was honest and told him every single time until probably two weeks prior to when they were due, that I hadn't started. A couple weeks before they were due, I began writing. I stopped a couple sentences into it, because I didn't want to do it. I didn't want to write it, so I couldn't force it out of myself.
Now, personal statements are due on 11/30. I began writing my personal statement on the afternoon of 11/28. By nighttime, I had erased about 10 of them, and kept rewriting them. I finally had something with which I was semi-satisfied. Without thinking, I copied and pasted it into the browser, but of course I read it one more time. I wanted to change a word, so I did so. I changed the word without rereading the entire sentence and submitted it. I thought I would be able to go back and edit it after it was submitted... I was wrong. I was dead wrong, and my heart sank. My heart dropped and chills went down my back. I did not know what to do. This was a huge step in my life, and because of a careless mistake, I would lose the opportunity of a lifetime.
I bitched and moaned to all my friends about how I had a typo, and most people just informed me of the obvious: there was nothing that I could do to take it back, or change it. I just had to accept the fact that what's done is done. So I actually forgot about that and just continued doing whatever the hell I was doing at the time.
So spring semester came around, and I was honestly expecting easy classes. I took philosophy 103, psychology 300, political science 130, and political science 115. While my first two classes were extremely easy, my last two were confusing, unorganized, and challenging. I thought I knew a lot, but when the tests came around, I literally froze. I just froze and didn't know what to do. I bombed the first quizzes in both classes, but the teacher had a very good policy about grades. If he sees progress, he gives a better grade. The entire semester, I waited until the very last minute to do homework, because I spent most of my time either sleeping or with my boyfriend. It was a tough semester, though. I felt ill for approximately a month out of the entire semester, so I missed a good amount of classes, and I also wasn't very focused in school. I even ended up not knowing about an exam but winging it and getting a C. I ended up getting all Bs, which was really all I needed. Was I proud? YES, I was. From doing nothing all semester, I got a 3.0.
College acceptance letters came out in April. On April 20, 2012: I received my acceptance to UC Davis as a Political Science major. I was overwhelmed and I pretty much had my heart set on Davis the entire spring semester because I figured that I would not be able to get into Berkeley with that typo on my personal statement. I shared the news with all my friends who were transferring after spring, and everyone else had gotten into Davis as well. Everyone else, however, had also applied to at least 3 more universities than I had. I didn't really want to go anywhere aside from Davis or Berkeley. I really wanted to stay close to home. So I was later informed that Berkeley acceptance letters would come out on the 27th. On the 27th, around 5pm (the time I received my acceptance from Davis), I got nothing in my email. I had nothing in my inbox and I was a little nervous.
I didn't know what to think. Maybe they didn't send out rejection letters. Maybe theres no way for me to find out. I got home from work at 7:30, and went to read on the website how to find out if one was accepted, waitlisted or rejected. I found that it was required to log in to myBerkeleyApp, and that's where it would notify people. I logged in, scared as hell, and the first word I saw was "Congratulations!" I screamed and ran out of my room and told my mom who was in the kitchen. I was shaking with joy and excitement, and immediately called my best friend to tell him. I was waiting on my boyfriend to pick me up from home, and the second I got in the car I let him know the good news. He was so happy for me, just like everyone else. I posted it on facebook, I told the world.
I did it. Nobody ever told me that I couldn't do it, but there were people who were doubtful in themselves whether or not they could do it. I'm so glad that I had such a strong support system through my two years of community college. My mom never hassled me about doing anything, and she let me do everything on my own. She let me study when I wanted to, she let me go out when I wanted to, and she basically let me have as much freedom as she felt was necessary which was honestly a great amount.
Since I was able to go to a community college, take all the classes I needed, and get out in two years: anyone can do it. Anyone can do it as long as there is dedication and motivation. It's a much better alternative than going to a crappy school just because it has the word "University" in it. A degree from SFSU will never compare to a degree from Cal. In a way, I took the easy route. It was easy because junior college is a lot like high school, without the teachers caring so much and the office calling home when you miss class. It's high school with a whole bunch of freedom. When someone fucks up, it's on him or her. It's his money, it's his education.
It's true, people don't try as hard in community college. There were plenty of people who I wanted to just shove off a cliff because they were a waste of a seat. The seat that they took could have been for somebody else who was more dedicated to studying, and more dedicated to bettering their lives. There were people who came into class smelling like weed, and just sat there like they didn't even know where they were. People who came to class once in a blue moon just to take a test, and bomb it. Although there were those types of people, there were also the people who were extremely dedicated to their studies, and motivated to get the hell out of Skyline. I'm so glad I met people like that during my two years at Skyline. I'm glad I met people who were just as headstrong as me, if not more. I'm glad that these people helped me study and really kept me going through most of the semesters.
After a year at Skyline, I started to really like it at that school. I really liked the community college system, and just everything that the school had to offer. At times, the registration dates would piss me off, but I DID end up getting classes (which is a huge gripe from most people when asked why they don't want to go to a community college). I get that parents don't want their kids to go to a community college because it sounds bad, but how bad does it sound when they transfer?
I honestly feel like I accomplished more, having completed all my required courses (and more), at a junior college and then transferring to a four year university. I am proud of the fact that I was able to do it without a guarantee, or honors program. I applied to Cal with a 3.47 GPA, no extracurriculars, (the inability to spell the word curricular without attempting it 16 times), no volunteer work, and just a job as a waitress.
With that said, anyone can do it. I didn't let my shitty resume stop me from applying to the country's top public university. I didn't let my (basically) failure GPA stop me from applying. I know that my friends and family are extremely proud of me, and very happy for me. I am so thankful to have such a wonderful support system. My best friends, my parents, my aunts and uncles, my grandparents, my cousins, and my boyfriend make me elated because they never give up on me, and they always want the best for me.
I can't wait to start this new chapter of my life, because things can really only go up from here. :)
E
